The word "Montana" derives from a Spanish term meaning "mountainous."  It often has been called the "Treasure State," the "Land of the Shining Mountains," and "The Big Sky Country."  Montana is the fourth largest state in the Union (following Alaska, Texas, and California), comprising 147,046 sq. mi. (380,848 sq. km.) or 94,109,440 acres--a total that includes 1,657 sq. mi. (4,293 sq. km.) of inland water surface. 

The state's greatest east-west distance is 559 mi. (900 km.), along its common boundary with Canada, and its greatest north-south distance is 321 mi. (517 km.).  Montana is bounded by the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Idaho, and by the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.  The state capital is Helena.

Montana straddles two physiographic regions.  Its eastern two-thirds lie in the northern Great Plains--characterized by general treeless, gently rolling terrain broken by buttes, tree-bordered streams, and small isolated mountain ranges.  Its western one-third lies in the northern Rocky Mountains--characterized by the Continental Divide, heavily forested mountain ranges, and interspersed river valleys.  The highest point in the state is Granite Peak, 12,799 ft. (3,901 m.), situated near the Wyoming border.  The lowest point, 1,800 ft. (549 m.), is located where the Kootenai River crosses the Idaho border.

Sources for three major watersheds rise in Montana: the Columbia River, flowing west into the Pacific Ocean; the Missouri-Mississippi Rivers, running east and south to the Gulf of Mexico; the Saskatchewan-Nelson drainage, flowing northeast to the Hudson Bay.  Triple Divide Peak, from which slopes waters flow in all three directions, is located in Glacier National Park.

The largest natural body of water in Montana is Flathead Lake, with 189 sq. mi. (490 sq. km.) of surface.  The largest artificial lake is the reservoir created by Fort Peck Dam, with a surface of 383 sq. mi. (992 sq. km).  The state's 25 major dams (and thousands of smaller ones) provide electricity, irrigation, flood control, and recreation.  The federal government owns and administers about 37 percent of the land in Montana.

Montana's climate is classified as "dry continental," although there are great variations among areas because of differences in elevation in the state's size. Humidity is generally low, as is average annual precipitation: about 18 in. (455 mm.) west of the Continental Divide; approximately 13 in. (330 cm.) on the east side.

Western Montana's average temperatures in January of 20ºF. (-7ºC.) and in July of 64ºF. (18ºC) are warmer in winter and cooler in summer than are eastern Montana's January average of 14ºF. (-10ºC.) and its July average of 71ºF. (22ºC.).  Deep snows, extreme cold, strong winds, seasonal flooding, destructive hailstorms, and warm winter breezes (called "Chinooks") can occur in various regions of the state.

Montana remains a state of relatively few people: it is ranked 44th among the 50 states.  For example, the entire state holds fewer people (2000 U.S. census) than does the city of Birmingham, Alabama or Fresno, California, or Louisville, Kentucky.  The 2000 census lists Montana with a total population of 902,195, or about 6.1 persons per square mile (that national average is almost 80 persons per square mile).  Montana registered a total population gain of 103,130 (a 12.9 percent increase) between 1990 and 2000.

The 200 federal census shows a general gain in population for the Rocky Mountain areas of western Montana and a general loss for the plains areas of eastern Montana.  Montana's seven largest cities (2000 census) are: Billings, 89,847; Missoula, 57,053; Great Falls, 56,690; Butte, 33,892; Bozeman, 27,509; Helena, 25,780; Kalispell, 14,223.  In these seven cities live almost 34 percent of all Montanans.  The majority of people who migrate to Montana (1998) come from California, Washington, Colorado, Oregon, and Wyoming, respectively.

The historical development of Montana's population is shown in the following table:

1870	20,595
1880	39,159
1890	142,924
1900	243,329
1910	376,053
1920	548,889
1930	537,606
1940	559,456
1950	591,024
1960	674,767
1970	694,409
1980	786,690
1900	799,065
2000	903,130
2001 est.	904,433

National and State Forests

Montana includes 11 national forests, 7 state forests, and 12 wilderness areas--totaling more than 17,000,000 acres of public land used for outdoor recreation, wildlife management, and natural extraction.  Although there are exceptions, this public forest land generally is located in the mountainous areas of central, southern, and western Montana.  In all, Montana contains nearly 12,400,000 acres in 89 wildlands or clusters of wildlands.  In 1989, national forests in Montana alone logged 9,412,000 visitor days.

National Park Service Sites

Glacier National Park, the nation's foremost trail park, is situated astride the Continental Divide, at its intersection with the Canadian boundary.  Combined with its Canadian counterpart, this reserve is known as the "Waterton-Glacier National Peace Park."  In addition, three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park (the oldest and largest national park in the country) are found in Montana.  The state also includes the Big Hole National Battlefield, the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, and the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.

State Parks

Montana contains 89 state parks and monuments that protect natural, cultural, and recreational sites--in addition to the more than 300 state fishing-access sites, five recreational rivers, and several recreational roads and trails.  The system encompasses more than 30,000 acres of protected properties.  These facilities are found in every county in the state and are favorites for Montana residents and for out-of-state visitors alike.

Lewis and Clark Expedition Sites

Members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed Montana going west toward the Pacific Ocean in 1805 and returned through Montana heading east in 1806.  The Expedition spent more travel days in Montana, covered more miles in Montana, and encountered some of its most dramatic events in Montana.  Information about the Expedition can be located on the web page for the Montana Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission .  Bicentennial "signature events" will be held in Great Falls in 2005 and in Billings in 2006.

In addition to myriad Lewis and Clark campsites spread across Montana, the state includes the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls and the following National Historic Landmarks that are Lewis and Clark sites: Lemhi Pass, Travelers' Rest, Lolo Trail, Great Falls Portage, Camp Disappointment, Pompey's Pillar, and Three Forks of the Missouri.

Indian Reservations

Montana includes seven federally administered reservations for 11 Native American tribes.  These reservations constitute more than 5,000,000 acres of land, on which live 56,068 of the state's natives (2000 census).  Indians comprised over six percent of the Montana population in the 2000 census.  Montana reservations, tribes, populations, and mailing addresses are shown in the following table.

Reservations	Tribes	2000 Populations	Post Offices
Flathead	Confederated Salish and Kootenai	26,172	Pablo, 59855
Blackfeet	Blackfeet	10,100	Browning, 59417
Rocky Boy	Chippewa and Cree	1,605	Box Elder, 59521
Fort Belknap	Assiniboine and Gros Ventres	2,959	Harlem, 59526
Fort Peck	Assiniboine and Sioux	10,321	Poplar, 59255
Crow	Crow	6,894	Crow Agency, 59022
Northern Cheyenne	Northern Cheyenne	4,470	Lame Deer, 59043

Montana also includes a number of reservation-less or "landless" Indians, primarily of the Little Shell Band and the Chippewa-Cree.  Leaders of this group--who recently received federal recognition as a formal tribe--can be reached at P.O. Box 1384 in Great Falls, MT 59403.

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